Lynda Obst | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | Lynda Rosen (1950-04-14)April 14, 1950 New York City, U.S. |
| Died | October 22, 2024(2024-10-22) (aged 74) Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
| Alma mater | Pomona College Columbia University |
| Occupations |
|
| Years active | 1986–2024 |
| Organization | Lynda Obst Productions |
| Spouse | David Obst (div.) |
| Children | 1 |
Lynda Rosen Obst[1] (April 14, 1950 – October 22, 2024) was an American film producer and author. Her works includeSleepless in Seattle andInterstellar. Obst founded the production companies Hill/Obst Productions in 1986 and Lynda Obst Productions in 1989.[2]
Obst was born inNew York City on April 14, 1950, to Robert, a garment industry business man, and Clare Rosen, a teacher.[1][3] She had younger two brothers, Rick and Michael, and grew up inHarrison New York. As a child, she considered herself a "tomboy," playing baseball and participating in gymnastics. Obst was a graduate ofPomona College inClaremont, California, and studied philosophy in the graduate program atColumbia University.[3] However, Obst elected to leave school to work as editor/writer on the 1978 book,The Sixties: The Decade Remembered Now, by the People who Lived it Then.[4][5] She met and married literary agent,David Obst.[4]
Obst worked as an editor atThe New York Times Magazine before moving to Los Angeles when her then-husband,David, was offered a job starting a production company.[4] Obst's first role in film was in 1979, working in development forPeter Guber and becoming vice president of creative affairs.[5][6] She then moved on to development forThe Geffen Film Company, leading to her first associate producer credit forFlashdance in 1983.[7][8]
In 1986, Obst partnered withDebra Hill to form one of the first all female production companies, Hill/Obst Productions.[2] Combining Obst's development experience with Hill's hands-on production skills, their first film wasChris Columbus's directorial debut, the 1987 filmAdventures in Babysitting.[9] Other films includedHeartbreak Hotel, andThe Fisher King.The Fisher King was critically successful, winning an Academy Award and totaling four nominations.[10] AfterThe Fisher King (1991), Obst and Hill parted ways. Obst became an in-studio producer. In 1992, she produced Nora Ephron's directorial debut,This Is My Life. She continued her collaboration with Ephron producingSleepless in Seattle.[5] Other notable films that she produced during this time includeOne Fine Day,Someone Like You,Contact,Hope Floats, andThe Siege. In 1989, Obst founded a production company, Lynda Obst Productions. Initially based atColumbia Pictures, it moved to20th Century Fox in 1993.[5] By 2007, the company was named Obst/Rosen Productions.[11]
In 2009, Obst completed principal photography as producer onThe Invention of Lying (originally titled "This Side of the Truth" and the directing and co-writing debut ofRicky Gervais andMatthew Robinson) starring Gervais andJennifer Garner. It was released in October 2009. She was the producer ofGurinder Chadha'sAngus, Thongs and Perfect Snogging, released byNickelodeon in 2008. In 2014, Obst collaborated with directorChristopher Nolan and co-producedInterstellar, a science-fiction drama starringMatthew McConaughey andAnne Hathaway. It marked the first time her production company, Lynda Obst Productions, was credited with a production.
Obst was the author of the memoirHello, He Lied (1996), detailing her experiences in the modern studio system.[12] In 2013 she wroteSleepless in Hollywood about the shift from character-driven film to blockbusters.[13] Obst was one of the central figures in the battle over theRichard Preston book,Crisis in the Hot Zone.
| Lynda Obst Productions | |
| Industry | Film |
| Founded | 1989 |
| Defunct | 2024 |
| Headquarters | Culver City, Los Angeles, California, United States |
Key people | Lynda Obst |
| Owner | Lynda Obst |
| Website | lyndaobstproductions |
LRO Enterprises, Ltd.,[14]doing business asLynda Obst Productions, is an Americanfilm andtelevision production company started by Lynda Obst. She formed the company in 1989 and moved it to Columbia Pictures.[15] In 1993, her company moved to 20th Century Fox.[16] While Obst had producer credits for films from the 1980s to present,Interstellar was the first to display her company banner.[17]
Obst has several relatives in media. Her brother Rick was one of the founders of theEndeavor talent agency while her brother Michael was the northeast bureau chief for ABC News.[3] Obst had one son, who also became a talent manager and producer.[18]
In 1997, she bought a home in Texas.[3] Obst was a good friend of writerSusan Berman. She appeared in the 2015 documentaryThe Jinx, speaking about her friend's murder. Obst went on to testify at Durst's trial, recounting a conversation where Durst asked Berman to help him conceal his wife's disappearance.[19][20]
Lynda Obst died at her home inLos Angeles on October 22, 2024, at the age of 74.[21] She had COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease) at the time of her death, having been a longtime smoker.[4] In 2025, theProducers Guild of America announced that she would receive a posthumous Trailblazer Award in recognition of her contributions to create opportunities for fellow female producers.[9]
Obst was a producer in all films unless otherwise noted.
| Year | Film | Credit |
|---|---|---|
| 1983 | Flashdance | Associate producer |
| 1987 | Adventures in Babysitting | |
| 1988 | Heartbreak Hotel | |
| 1991 | The Fisher King | |
| 1992 | This Is My Life | |
| 1993 | Sleepless in Seattle | Executive producer |
| 1994 | Bad Girls | Executive producer |
| 1996 | One Fine Day | |
| 1997 | Contact | Executive producer |
| 1998 | Hope Floats | |
| The Siege | ||
| 2001 | Someone like You | |
| 2002 | Abandon | |
| 2003 | How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days | |
| 2008 | Angus, Thongs and Perfect Snogging | |
| 2009 | The Invention of Lying | |
| 2014 | Interstellar |
| Year | Film | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 1995 | Pie in the Sky | Thanks |
| 2003 | I Love Your Work | Special thanks |
| 2009 | A Single Man | The producers wish to thank |
| 2019 | Above Suspicion | Special thanks |
| Year | Title | Credit | Notes | Other notes | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1989 | Adventures in Babysitting | Executive producer | Television pilot | ||
| 1999 | The '60s | Executive producer | |||
| 2002 | Hello, He Lied & Other Truths from the Hollywood Trenches | Executive producer | Uncredited | Documentary | |
| 2012–14 | The Soul Man | Executive producer | |||
| 2014–15 | Helix | Executive producer | |||
| 2010–15 | Hot in Cleveland | Executive producer | |||
| 2015–16 | Good Girls Revolt | Executive producer | [22][23] | ||
| 2019 | The Hot Zone | Executive producer | |||
| 2021 | The Hot Zone: Anthrax | Executive producer |
| Year | Title | Notes | Other notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2002 | Hello, He Lied & Other Truths from the Hollywood Trenches | Documentary | Uncredited |
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)